Cooking your own meals is definitely a healthier way to eat. However most people get discouraged by the amount of efforts they need to put in, to make those meals.
Whipping up a lunch when you have friends for dinner can be relaxing once in a while. But on days when you are swamped this can seem very daunting. Thankfully there are a lot of ways to reduce your cooking time if you make a few preparations. Here are a few things to try out:
Try Precutting Vegetables on Sunday Nights
You can use up your Sunday night unwinding or TV-watching time on cutting up vegetables. This way you can have a variety of foods throughout the week without having to spend too much time preparing the meals. However, make sure you store them in a way that the vegetables remain fresh until you use them up.
Boil the Potatoes before Peeling
Peeling potatoes and cooking them can take up a lot of your time. Instead try boiling them first. You can them stick them into a bowl of cold water and then remove their skin easily. All that you need to do is place your hands on both ends of the potato and twist them.
Keep Soft Cheese Frozen Before Shredding
You might be having a tough time trying to grate certain soft cheeses like mozzarella. But this problem can be solved by putting it in the freezer 30 minutes before using.
Microwave Garlic to Peel
Garlic is one of the vegetables that you use daily in a variety of dishes, considering its health benefits and taste. However, peeling it can be a complete nuisance. Here is a tip – put a head of garlic into your microwave and then heat it for about 20 seconds. The cloves will start sliding right out.
Slice Cherry Tomatoes All at Once
Slicing cherry tomatoes can be time consuming if you are doing it one after the other. Instead try this:
- Take two Tupperware lids
- Stick a couple of cherry tomatoes between them
- Run the knife through this space
- All of your tomatoes will get sliced at once
Get a Slow Cooker
If you are thinking of reducing your cooking time, a slow cooker can be of immense help. All that you need to do is throw some ingredients before you go to work or even overnight. You should have a hot meal waiting for you. You can also use it to heat up leftovers.
Use a Brown Paper Bag to Speed up Ripening
The best way to ripen fruits faster is to put them in a brown paper bag, close it, and keep it on your counter. The ethylene released by the fruit will be trapped by this bag, thereby increasing the pace of the ripening process.
Use Olive Oil to Freeze Herbs
Quite a bit of fresh herbs usually go to the waste after use. A good way to reduce this wastage is to freeze the herbs in an ice cube tray. Add some olive oil to retain the freshness and the flavor of the herbs.
You can find many easy recipes that can reduce your time in the kitchen. Nevertheless, these tips can help you stay organized and get the stress out of cooking.
